Downstream Impacts: Defending Wood Buffalo National Park

Although Wood Buffalo National Park straddles northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories, the waters and wildlife within it know no jurisdictional boundaries. The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a site of great spiritual and cultural significance to local First Nations. It also contains incredibly unique ecosystems and provides vital habitat for threatened species such as the wood bison and whooping crane.

However, the park is located downstream from some of the largest industrial projects in the world, like the Alberta oil sands, the Bennett Dam, and the recently approved Site C dam. These projects affect the hydrological and ecological function of the Peace-Athabasca Delta--the largest inland freshwater delta in the world. Strong evidence suggests that Wood Buffalo National Park is at grave risk.

In this webinar, we were joined by special guest speakers Melody Lepine, Director of Government and Industry Relations for the Mikisew Cree First Nation, and Mark Gustafson, associate for JLK Law. Melody and Mark spoke to threats Wood Buffalo National Park is facing and how local communities, the United Nations and federal government are responding.

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